What 2023 recruiting class tells us about next season’s roster
Memphis basketball concluded the early signing period Wednesday with a group of seven high school seniors either officially signed or verbally committed.
The class is headlined by San Ysidro (Calif.) 5-star combo guard Mikey Williams, and it is currently ranked No. 5 in the country, per 247 Sports, trailing only Uconn, Michigan State, Duke and Kentucky.
But it’s unlikely fifth-year coach Penny
Hardaway is finished recruiting. The top Tiger has repeatedly shown a willingness and the ability to make moves late in the process. Former Memphis wing Emoni Bates committed on Aug. 25, 2021. Just this year, Damaria Franklin was added to the roster in early September.
Still, the Tigers’ recent acquisitions raises some questions about the potential makeup of the 2023 roster.
Who’s coming?
At present, in addition to Williams (6-2, 190), San Ysidro 4-star wing JJ
Taylor (6-8, 170) and Sierra Canyon (Calif.) 3-star wing Ashton Hardaway (6-7, 195) have sent their respective National Letter of Intent to Memphis, The Commercial Appeal has confirmed. Also, the Tigers previously announced the signing of Calvary Christian (Fla.) 4star guard Carl Cherenfant (6-5, 190).
Ty-laur Johnson (6-foot, 160), a 4star point guard out of Our Saviour Lutheran School (N.Y.), David Tubek (6-8, 215), a 3-star wing from Dream City Christian (Ariz.), and Ryan Forrest (6-2, 170), a 3-star guard at Link Academy (Mo.), remain verbally committed to Memphis.
The NCAA’S regular signing period begins April 12, 2023, and ends May 17.
Who will go and who else might go?
If the group of incoming freshmen is a bit guard-heavy, it’s for good reason.
The Tigers are set to lose point guards Kendric Davis and Alex Lomax. Memphis will also wave goodbye to guard Elijah Mccadden. Franklin, another guard and a two-time transfer, has applied for a mental health waiver in an effort to
gain immediate eligibility. If he gets it, he won’t be back next season, either — although, it’s unlikely he’ll be back even if the NCAA denies his waiver request. Forward Deandre Williams will also exhaust his collegiate eligibility this season, meaning he won’t return. If forward Jahmar Young Jr., plays this season, he will also be out of eligibility.
So, Memphis is definitely losing at least four scholarship players, and it could lose up to six. That number could also increase should any member of the current roster end up leaving for one reason or another.
Who can stay?
Following the 2021-22 season, every Tiger on the roster had collegiate eligibility left and, therefore, could have stayed at Memphis. Eventually, nine players departed.
By the time the 2022-23 season ends, eight scholarship players will have at least one season of eligibility remaining: guards Keonté Kennedy, Johnathan Lawson, Jayden Hardaway and Franklin, forwards Chandler Lawson and Ian Granja, and bigs Kaodirichi Akobunduehiogu and Malcolm Dandridge.
The likelihood that all eight of those players will be back in Tiger Blue next season is slim-to-none in this, the era of the transfer.
What’s next, by the numbers?
Division I teams are permitted 13 players on scholarship per season. We know, for sure, the Tigers will lose at least four after this season — although chances are pretty good that number will be higher once the dust settles. A fair expectation for the number of scholarships Memphis will have to fill following this season is in the 8-10 range.
If all seven members of Memphis’ 2023 recruiting class eventually enroll and take up a spot on next season’s roster, that could leave the Tigers with anywhere from one to three scholarships available going into the spring and summer.
If not, there would be more.
Either way, moving forward, Hardaway will likely soon turn his recruiting focus toward balancing this influx of youth with some older, more experienced pieces — namely, a big man — either
from the transfer portal or possibly the junior college ranks.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter @munzly.